Bible verses about "courtship" | NHEB

¹ Now Abraham was old, and well advanced in years. The LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. ² Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh. ³ I will make you swear by the God of heaven and earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. ⁴ But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac." ⁵ The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?" ⁶ Abraham said to him, "Be careful that you do not take my son back there. ⁷ Now the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your offspring' -- he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be free from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again." ⁹ The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. ¹⁰ The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. ¹¹ He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. ¹² He said, "God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ Look, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ Let it happen, that the young woman to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." ¹⁵ It happened, before he had finished speaking, that look, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. ¹⁶ The young woman was very beautiful to look at, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. ¹⁷ The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher." ¹⁸ She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher to her hands, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ When she had finished giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking." ²⁰ She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. ²¹ The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. ²² It happened, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a gold ring weighing a beka, which he put on her nose, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten [shekels] of gold, ²³ and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?" ²⁴ She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." ²⁵ She said moreover to him, "We have plenty of straw and feed, and room to lodge in." ²⁶ The man bowed his head, and worshiped God. ²⁷ He said, "Blessed be the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, he has led me on the journey to the house of my masterʼs relatives." ²⁸ The young woman ran, and told her mother's house about these words. ²⁹ Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. ³⁰ It happened, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Look, he was standing by the camels at the spring. ³¹ He said, "Come in, you blessed of God. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels." ³² The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on." ³⁴ He said, "I am Abraham's servant. ³⁵ The LORD has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him. ³⁷ My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, ³⁸ but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' ³⁹ I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?' ⁴⁰ He said to me, 'God, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your journey. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house. ⁴¹ Then will you be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they do not give her to you, you shall be free from my oath.' ⁴² I came this day to the spring, and said, 'God of my master Abraham, if now you will prosper my journey in which I go— ⁴³ look, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the virgin who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink," ⁴⁴ and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"—let her be the woman who has been appointed for my master's son.' ⁴⁵ Before I had done speaking in my heart, look, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' ⁴⁶ She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she made the camels drink also. ⁴⁷ I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. ⁴⁸ I bowed my head, and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. ⁴⁹ Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left." ⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from the LORD. We can't speak to you bad or good. ⁵¹ Look, Rebekah is before you. Take, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken." ⁵² It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the ground. ⁵³ The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and her mother. ⁵⁴ They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master." ⁵⁵ Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go." ⁵⁶ He said to them, "Do not hinder me, seeing that he has prospered my journey. Send me away that I may go to my master." ⁵⁷ They said, "We will call the young woman, and ask her." ⁵⁸ They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." ⁵⁹ They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men. ⁶⁰ They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them." ⁶¹ Rebekah arose with her female servants. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way. ⁶² Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev. ⁶³ Isaac went out to walk in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, look, there were camels coming. ⁶⁴ Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel. ⁶⁵ She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her veil, and covered herself. ⁶⁶ The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

⁷ He went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

¹ Finally then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, even as you are living, that you excel more and more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, ⁴ that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not in the passion of lust, even as the nations who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. ⁸ Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

¹² Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

²⁴ Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

²² Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

¹ Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. ² Now I praise you, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. ³ But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved. ⁶ For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. ⁷ For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. ⁸ For man is not from woman, but woman from man; ⁹ for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. ¹⁰ For this cause the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord. ¹² For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God. ¹³ Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled? ¹⁴ Doesn't even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? ¹⁵ But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God's churches. ¹⁷ But in giving you this command, I do not praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For first of all, when you come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it. ¹⁹ For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you. ²⁰ When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. ²¹ For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunk. ²² What, do you not have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God's church, and put them to shame who do not have? What should I tell you? Should I praise you? In this I do not praise you. ²³ For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. ²⁴ When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me." ²⁵ In the same way he also took the cup, after the meal, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me." ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. ²⁷ Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord's cup in a manner unworthy will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a person examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not discern the body. ³⁰ For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. ³¹ For if we discerned ourselves, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. ³³ Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait one for another. ³⁴ But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.

²⁶ For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,

¹¹ For I know the plans that I have for you,' says the LORD, 'plans for your welfare, and not for calamity, to give you hope and a future.

²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery;' ²⁸ but I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you.[note: Hyperbole, or Semitic idiom, meaning to stop doing a sin] For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you.[note: Hyperbole, or Semitic idiom, meaning to stop doing a sin] For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

¹ Now concerning the things about which you wrote: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

⁹ He said, "Who are you?" She answered, "I am Ruth your handmaid. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your handmaid; for you are a redeeming kinsman." ¹⁰ He said, "Blessed are you by the LORD, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you didn't follow young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹ Now, my daughter, do not be afraid; I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people does know that you are a worthy woman. ¹² Now it is true that I am a redeeming kinsman; however there is a redeemer closer than I am. ¹³ Stay this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform for you the part of a redeemer, well; let him do the redeemer's part. But if he will not do the part of a redeemer for you, then I will do the part of a redeemer for you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until the morning."

⁵ and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and the two will become one flesh?'

² But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

¹⁸ Flee sexual immorality. "Every sin that a person does is outside the body," but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

²² Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the LORD.

¹² Let no one despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

¹ Now concerning the things about which you wrote: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Do not deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to prayer, and may be together again, that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. ⁷ Yet I wish that all people were like me. However each one has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind. ⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. ⁹ But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. For it's better to marry than to burn. ¹⁰ But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband ¹¹ (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife. ¹² But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her. ¹³ The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called you to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? ¹⁷ Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. ²⁰ Let each person stay in that calling in which he was called. ²¹ Were you called being a slave? Do not let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it. ²² For he who was called in the Lord being a slave is the Lord's free person. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's slave. ²³ You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of people. ²⁴ Brothers, let each one, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy. ²⁶ I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a person to remain as he is. ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you. ²⁹ But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, those who have wives should be as though they had none;. ³⁰ and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; ³¹ and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the form of this world is passing away. ³² But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; ³³ but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, ³⁴ and is divided. And the woman that is unmarried, or a virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the one that is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ³⁵ This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if anyone thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He does not sin. Let them marry. ³⁷ But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, does well. ³⁸ So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage does better. ³⁹ A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.